Services

Services

Intro to Mindfulness

All Introduction to Mindfulness classes are based on the S.I.T. Mindfulness (Six week Introductory Training in Mindfulness) curriculum from The Mindfulness Institute. Each class will have some sitting meditation, some discussion and introduction of specific topics, and some exercises in mindfulness. The topics covered include the historical roots of mindfulness, working with breath and body, how to work with thoughts and emotions, some common difficulties and how to work with them, and how to bring the practice home into regular life at the end of the session. After this series of classes you will have all the tools you need to start and maintain a practice of mindfulness which will increase your ability to focus, increase your capacity to respond to challenges, and enable you to more fully enjoy your day to day life.

MBSR

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a structured 8 week program. Developed in 1979 by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the Medical School of the University of Massachusetts, MBSR is highly respected in the medical community and is widely taught throughout the US and internationally. It does not replace traditional medical or psychological treatment, but is offered as a complement and has been shown to help with many conditions, such as: anxiety, high blood pressure, stress due to finances or work or family issues, headaches, chronic illness, chronic pain, sleep problems, and others.

Classes include meditation, discussion, introduction of mindfulness concepts and their effects on the body, and mindfulness exercises.
There is a required orientation meeting, eight two hour class sessions, a silent retreat that lasts most of the day, and assignments between the class sessions. It is a rigorous program and requires commitment. However, it is the gold standard of modern mindfulness training and well worth the effort.
Dates TBD

Somatic Experiencing

Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a potent psychobiological method for resolving trauma symptoms and relieving chronic stress. It is the life’s work of Dr Peter Levine resulting from his multidisciplinary study of stress physiology, psychology, ethology, biology, neuroscience, indigenous healing practices, and medical biophysics, together with over 45 years of successful clinical application. The SE approach releases traumatic shock, which is key to transforming all kinds of trauma, including accidents and medical procedures, among others.
SE offers a framework to assess where a person is “stuck” in the fight, flight, freeze, or collapse responses and provides clinical tools to resolve these fixated physiological states.

YOGA

First and foremost, Kristin is a Tier 2 (500 Hour) Certified Baptiste teacher, and her teacher is Baron Baptiste. A short description from the Baptiste Institute’s website states the following:

The Baptiste Institute exists to make a difference and empower people to realize and manifest what is of interest and of most importance to them.

Baptiste Institute is an organization changing lives by bringing yoga to the world as a leadership skill.

We inspire people to fulfill their purpose of making a difference for themselves and others. Our tools and practices enable people to develop themselves and others as leaders in their own lives.

We are committed to causing leaders who cause leaders first with themselves and then with others.

Through the practices of asana (poses), meditation, and inquiry, transformation occurs that is the delight of a consistent yoga practice. Come along for the ride– you’ll love it.

Additionally, Kristin is certified through Yoga Alliance, E-RYT200/RYT500
Kristin is currently teaching at Hot on Bank- a very cool, very fun studio at 153 Bank St in New London, CT. For info go to www.hotonbank.com
For individual sessions, email me! Kristin@skillfulmeanz.com

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a very powerful intervention for stress and stress related health problems. It is also a tool that can be used to sharpen our ability to focus, to think more clearly and effectively, which allows us to perform better in our workplace. What makes Mindfulness unique is its capacity to use the mind/body connection to enable the practitioner to re-discover their own ability to regulate their nervous system, allowing them to live with more ease and respond more effectively to the challenges in their lives.

How can mindfulness help?

Mindfulness gets us in the habit of paying attention in a non-judgmental manner to exactly what is happening in any given moment. It’s like building a mental muscle that helps us to direct our attention where we want it to be, where it will do us the most good and be the most effective. Our minds and our hearts shift from being crisis oriented to being clearer and calmer. Even the neuroscientists are now confirming the mental and physical health benefits of the practice.

How can I practice mindfulness?

Wouldn’t you like a little more room to maneuver, mentally and emotionally? A little more space, to breathe and to choose calmly how you want to respond to people, places, and things at work and at home? This is what Mindfulness does for us. It is inherently practical and does not involve doing anything weirder than sitting still.

"Mindfulness means being aware of how you’re deploying your attention and making decisions about it, and not letting the tweet or the buzzing of your BlackBerry call your attention."

-Howard Rheingold

“Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make your peace with that and all will be well.”

– Jack Kornfield

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

-Viktor E. Frankl

SKILLFUL MEANZ

Mindfulness and Meditation

Using the mind/body connection to enable the practitioner to re-discover their own ability to regulate their nervous system, allowing one to live with more ease and to respond more effectively to the challenges in one’s life.